Dark Souls II - Page 2

big bad birtha · 04-21-2014, 05:42 PM

Decided to dive right back into the game and try the PvP scene. As much as I hate PvP and typically associate PvP with retard teenagers shouting "I R MASTUR GAMUR!!!1111!!!" and outright cheaters, I figured the ability to fight other players would be a valuable skill. It's discouraging how many fair fights I lose though. More often than not, I fuck up, or I can never get in a hit due to range issues. Now I kind of get what people mean by low weapon range being a bad thing. In PvE, it's no big deal, since you're always in the enemy's face anyway. I think I've won like 1/4 of my fair duels. Not a very good number.

Though in all this suckage, I did finally manage to get my hands on the Mad Warrior set! That thing looks awesome, so that's a plus!

I watched my friend play this a week ago, and while he was in the shaded woods, he noticed Manscorpion Tark. He started shooting at him because of how he looks, and instead of yelling or attacking back, Tark just tried to hide from his arrows. After it was over, we felt so bad about it. I wasn't sure what my experience was with him, so I walked up to him in one of my games later on, and realized he's the equivalent of Quelaan (without a covenant). Such regret!

**Marion Ette** · 04-24-2014, 01:34 PM

Beat the game a couple weeks ago.

Comments on the ending:

Spoiler: show

First off, I have to say that while I am a HUGE fan of the changes in the mechanics of leaving Soul Signs in DS2 from DS1 and the increased mobility that characters seem to have after leaving their signs, and the fact that Drangleic Castle in particular is such a hotspot for help because of three difficult possible bossfights to help with from one bonfire (The Dragonrider Pair, Throne Defender/Watcher and Nashandra), it is kind of depressing that I had the final boss fight spoiled because I was Sunbroing it up in Drangleic Castle, thinking I was helping with the Dragonriders, and was taken straight to Nashandra in somebody else's game. For that reason, the final boss was nowhere near as epic as she should have been, and to be honest, even when I saw her for the first time in someone else's file... While the design was really awesome, the arena was pretty bare and dull, and the reveal of Nashandra being corrupted/evil didn't really seem like a surprise. Perhaps it's because a similar angle has been done in Demon's Souls and Dark Souls (and with characters that were a bit more shocking in the reveal than Nashandra, who seemed like kind of a bitch from the moment you start talking to her and who had a number of NPCs gossiping about what a bitch she was to begin with). Not only that, but I felt that the Vendrick bossfight was decidedly more difficult (though again, the arena was rather dull, though the darkness gave it an eerie feel). As for the ending cinematic... I haven't yet looked into the possibility of multiple endings, but I felt it was somewhat lacking. I go to the throne, I sit down, I'm the ruler... Woo. Perhaps I'm missing the significance of the event, or some part of the lore, but it seemed kind of eh. Granted, it is a plus that once you find the ending, you can keep going and do everything you missed... but only Shanalotte and Sweet Shalquoir seem to recognize that I'm the ruler after continuing, which is a bit strange.

All that said, despite the ending, I loved the game overall. It had everything I loved about DS1 with some new twists, as well. I hear rumors about NG+ being something to check out as well, but I won't be with this character, as I will be switching to the PC version in a day or two~

Comments on my first DS2 build:

Spoiler: show

Concept · 04-24-2014, 02:54 PM

I've not got my Xbox at the moment but I'll see if I can recall my build. The general gist will be clear, anyway.

Spoiler: show

**Marion Ette** · 04-25-2014, 11:26 AM

Nice build, 'Cept! I was actually considering something similar for when I tried out the PC version, but ultimately decided to try a Curse-based build this time around. I still want to try a high STR/high VIT character at some point, though! Also, thinking back about my own build, 40 VGR, while padding for low VIT/END, did seem a bit excessive looking back. Seing your own build with 21 VGR makes me think that I may not want to go as heavy-handed next time.

I'm starting the PC version as Deprived, and it's not quite as hard as I thought it would be, particularly given the fact that I got the game on pre-order. The strategy is simple:

Spoiler: show

Concept · 04-26-2014, 07:36 AM

So casters are working out well for you? Never done a proper caster run in a souls game, closest I've come is taking enough faith on a DaS1 character so I could heal in co-op. I tend to favour proper heavy armour, strong shield tanky characters.

Unrelatedly, kind of tempted to try a SL1 run once I get my Xbox back.

big bad birtha · 04-27-2014, 10:22 PM

Builds eh. I'm attempting to play a different game, so I'd rather not pop in Dark Souls II again just to be addicted to it again, so I'll think of my builds from memory.

My hexer's stuff:

Spoiler: show

My attempted Dex/PvP character:

Spoiler: show

**Marion Ette** · 04-29-2014, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Concept

So casters are working out well for you? Never done a proper caster run in a souls game, closest I've come is taking enough faith on a DaS1 character so I could heal in co-op. I tend to favour proper heavy armour, strong shield tanky characters.

Unrelatedly, kind of tempted to try a SL1 run once I get my Xbox back.

It's funny, because I actually did try a heavy armor/greatshield build over the weekend with a warrior starting class, and as good as the build was, I ended up dropping it after Lost Bastille. The build had a LOT of good points (better survivability, outstanding block, a much easier time at earlier levels) but I didn't find it as versatile as a caster build; you have to remember that all builds are melee builds to some degree, and I feel like being a caster gives you a greater arsenal for dealing with problems, at the cost of defense/survivability in combat... but my personal preference is to make that sacrifice to be able to have my spells on hand. That said, I can DEFINITELY see the utility in a high strength/endurance build. It's actually a build that neither myself nor my boyfriend really use (he tends to prefer builds with high investment in vgr/end/dex) so it was cool to try it out. I'm really eager to go hexer, though.

BBB, I actually find your build really interesting because, like I said, I'm planning to go hexer from deprived. I have my build planned out, though it's a little bit different from what you posted. My guess is I may be a little suicidal with mine while yours is a bit more balanced:

Spoiler: show

Of course, this is all projection. I'm SL 22 right now with my Deprived. If anyone's interested, here's a bit more on how I survived the poor life decision of starting with this class:

Spoiler: show

MarbleZone · 05-04-2014, 05:15 PM

Caved in and bought it, should arrive later this month. Might go with a caster this time, never tried it in the original.

I'd like your opinion on something: are tank builds viable at all? I remember starting out as one in the first Dark Souls and regretting it immensely; dodging was 90% of the time objectively the best way to stay alive, so I ended up instantly disregarding heavy gear and storing it away forever. How do you guys go about playing heavy-armored characters?

Concept · 05-04-2014, 08:54 PM

I find tank builds by far the easiest way to play through both games. First rule of tank builds is no matter how tanky you want to be, do not go into fat roll. Every now and again you will need to roll. In Dark Souls fat roll is above 50% equip load. In the sequel, it's above 70%. If you're on the edge of that limit, upgrade your existing armour rather than trying to switch into a heavier set. Second rule of tank builds is that your shield is your most important piece of equipment - always go with your best shield, even if this means having to drop down to weaker armour. Best shield has 100% physical block and as high a stability as possible (which determines how much stamina you lose when blocking). Keep your shield upgraded as much as possible. Upgrading your armour is also a must, but not as high a priority as shield upgrading.

With a fully upgraded Greatshield of Artorias in Dark Souls 1, I didn't have to dodge once in the Artorias boss fight or most others (including O&S).

Basically for build, pump stamina (so you can take more hits on your shield before being guard broken), vitality (which determines equip load now - you want to be able to carry the good, heavy shit without going over 70%) and strength (good shields in this game tend to have high strength requirements). Your vigor (HP) and armour are much less important. My above build is a really tanky character despite only 21 vigor, but I should've probably pumped endurance more.

Playing a tank, patience is the key - sometimes when you get the opening to attack, you'll instead want to just lower your shield for a moment to quickly recover stamina. The focus is always on keeping your stamina high enough that you can block the next combo. You're also going to want some form of ranged attack if for no other reason than to pull enemies off groups.

big bad birtha · 05-05-2014, 03:21 AM

The tank build is alot easier than the other builds. You don't have to bother learning to dodge patterns for each individual enemy, since you can just block everything. There aren't many enemies in the game that really require dodging if you have a good greatshield. Also the high hp and defense lets you make more mistakes before the game decides to fist you in the ass.

My biggest issue with the build is just that blocking everything seemed a bit boring. It's certainly easier, but dodging everything feels like much more of an accomplishment.

Talon87 · 05-18-2014, 05:44 PM

Just saw this. Figured I'd share it.

MarbleZone · 06-29-2014, 11:10 AM

Having played this a fair amount by now (just entered Earthen Peak, still have to explore part of Huntsman's Copse and most of the Doors of Pharros), here are my opinions on the game so far:

Pros:
- It's been a while since I played the original Dark Souls, but this one feels a lot less linear. I'm sure at some point I'll be forced to get something from path A in order to keep exploring path B, but right now I have 3 different routes I can choose to explore first with seemingly no consequence on the overarching plot, and that's what I like about this kind of games.
- The increase in weight percentage before fat roll lets me try out more gear than I could have in the first game; I find myself wearing heavy armor and shields I never tried in DS1 which makes for a more varied gameplay.
- I didn't try sorcery in DS1 but I feel there are a ton more spells to use in DS2. I didn't actively look for them in the first game so I may have just missed them, but I love all the casting options this game (which will always be primarily melee-oriented) provides, between spells, pyromancies and miracles.
- Soul Vessels. Yes, so much yes. Haven't used them yet, but the simple fact that this option exists makes me feel much more relaxed about my level-up choices.
- Dual-wielding would probably be a plus if I knew how to do it. I'm a shield-wearing coward at all times. :P
- Bonfire travel is a godsend in this game. The inclusion of respawn cancelling after X runs and the Ascetics are also really nice touches that go together really well.
- Something I frowned at in the beginning was the curse-like penalty for dying while Hollow. I suck at Dark Souls, so when I learned that you could go to half HP if you died often enough, I had serious doubts about the game's longevity in my unskilled hands. Turns out Effigies are common enough that even if you're terrible like me, you can lift the "curse" easily enough until you're good enough in a certain area to stop dying. All in all it's not nearly as catastrophic of a mechanic as I thought it would've been, it's actually kinda fun and pushes you to change things up rather than repeat the same tactics over and over until they work.

Cons:
- "Bearer of the curse... seek souls..." Jesus Christ will you shut up.
- Why is everyone in Majula so... content? The central hub in DS1 was filled with characters doomed to a tragic ending if you talked to them often enough. Almost everyone had a subplot that rarely ended well, so that even in Firelink Shrine - the supposed safehouse - you were constantly enveloped in a dark, foreboding feeling that nobody was truly safe. In Majula... it's like a big, bright and cheery convenience store. At least up until this point. It's a nice break from all the death and darkness in Drangleic sure, but that sort of tranquility isn't meant for a Dark Souls game.
- I miss feeling overwhelmed by creatures so huge and ominous that they encourage me to go out of my way to avoid them. Hydras, the bridge dragon and even Havel and the Black Knights in DS1 appeared like regular enemies, and they were so far out of my league in the beginning that I even wondered if they were actual foes or "environmental hazards" that you weren't supposed to fight. I've met none of those in DS2, and I kinda miss them. Heide Knights just aren't the same thing, and I'm yet to feel properly "overwhelmed" by a really fierce-looking enemy that makes me want to run to safety rather than fight.
- Invasions - are they much less frequent in DS2? Even in the supposed hotspots for invasions, like Belfry Luna, I'm yet to be invaded once by actual players when human. Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe not enough people are playing this game anymore.

I'm having a blast so far; even if the plot isn't half as compelling, the gameplay more than makes up for it. All in all, I'm having more fun playing Dark Souls 2 then I did playing the previous game, though I do wish the characters were darker.

Concept · 07-21-2014, 06:11 PM

Doing a second playthrough, medium armour and no shield. Got a little kill happy and murdered Lucatiel, Tark and Targray. I'm currently running around two handing the Blue Knight Halberd and wearing Lucatiels Vest, Drangleic Gauntlets+Boots and Travelling Merchant Hat. Some things are a lot harder without a shield (I remember Ruin Sentinels being so easy the first playthrough ;;). Doing all four routes simultaneously with the intention of doing all four Old Ones in a rush, so currently at;

-Earthen Peak (lower bonfire)
-Scorpioness Najka
-Grave of Saints (first bonfire)
-Ruin Sentinels

Planning on taking this character into the upcoming DLC's. Also hoping that the experience of not relying on my shield at all times will make me less incompetent at PvP (where overreliance on shields and poor dodging skills get you killed pretty quickly :p).

Anyone else looking forward to the DLC's?

big bad birtha · 11-04-2014, 11:22 PM

Decided to pick things up and hopefully start on the DLC after a few months without playing. I decided to pick back up with my hexer and they really fucked him in the latest patch. Lightning spears hardly do any damage anymore, and they don't even have many casts. I bet anyone who tries to main in miracles won't be able to do shit offensively. Soul spears on a fully upgraded magic staff of wisdom do like 400 damage. Resonant soul spells do about as much damage as dark orbs. Pyromancies don't even do that much. Like...why? I get that spells were devastating, but that's because of the limited uses and the fact that you had to pump in points into magic stats to use them, making yourself physically weak.

My Hexer's melee attacks do more damage than his strongest freaking spells. Actually I'd probably be better off just leaving him with like 16 attunement, kill his spells, and just pump everything into melee stats while enchanting his weapon.

I did complete one of the DLCs with him. It was still fun, but I'm probably going to do these with a melee character. I get that some spells needed a power downgrade, like pyromancies (chaos storm oneshotted most bosses), but they made them so weak that the super long cast time isn't even worth it.

EDIT: I do like how they improved the Chloranthy ring though. It's actually useful now!

Concept · 11-13-2014, 05:29 PM

I'm currently running through NG+ with a Beedrill Beeld. Moon Butterfly set, powerstancing Grand Lance and Chariot Lance (the former poison infused, which absolutely sucks for lances but WHO CARES BEEDRILL).

big bad birtha · 04-23-2016, 11:58 AM

Reviving a dead thread because I don't want to make a new one.

Got my hands on Dark Souls III. Like most souls games, I made a dex character as my first one. I want to try the magic system, but that will come at a later date. I like the hell out of this character. Everyone who summons me can see the fabulousness.

For thoughts, I enjoy it of course. It doesn't feel like a game that newcomers can just jump into, since they shout-out to the previous games alot. Also the beginning of the game is much more difficult than the others. The game throws so many Dark Knight level enemies at you. The first bosses feel like a cakewalk compared to the grunts. It balances out later on where you want to destroy your console at the bosses.

I have gotten into the habit of defeating a boss by myself, then right after, making a summon sign and helping other players for souls and extra practice. It's astounding how quickly you get summoned. I see players desperately searching the boss area for summon signs. Hell, more often than not, I get summed immediately after putting down my sign. I have also seen the same player summon me on different boss fights. I thought more players would try to do it themselves.

For weapons and whatnot: (weapons spoilers)

Spoiler: show

04-24-2014, 01:34 PM	#27
Marion Ette Blades and Butterflies Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Spreading my Rot Posts: 2,772	Beat the game a couple weeks ago. Comments on the ending: Spoiler: show First off, I have to say that while I am a HUGE fan of the changes in the mechanics of leaving Soul Signs in DS2 from DS1 and the increased mobility that characters seem to have after leaving their signs, and the fact that Drangleic Castle in particular is such a hotspot for help because of three difficult possible bossfights to help with from one bonfire (The Dragonrider Pair, Throne Defender/Watcher and Nashandra), it is kind of depressing that I had the final boss fight spoiled because I was Sunbroing it up in Drangleic Castle, thinking I was helping with the Dragonriders, and was taken straight to Nashandra in somebody else's game. For that reason, the final boss was nowhere near as epic as she should have been, and to be honest, even when I saw her for the first time in someone else's file... While the design was really awesome, the arena was pretty bare and dull, and the reveal of Nashandra being corrupted/evil didn't really seem like a surprise. Perhaps it's because a similar angle has been done in Demon's Souls and Dark Souls (and with characters that were a bit more shocking in the reveal than Nashandra, who seemed like kind of a bitch from the moment you start talking to her and who had a number of NPCs gossiping about what a bitch she was to begin with). Not only that, but I felt that the Vendrick bossfight was decidedly more difficult (though again, the arena was rather dull, though the darkness gave it an eerie feel). As for the ending cinematic... I haven't yet looked into the possibility of multiple endings, but I felt it was somewhat lacking. I go to the throne, I sit down, I'm the ruler... Woo. Perhaps I'm missing the significance of the event, or some part of the lore, but it seemed kind of eh. Granted, it is a plus that once you find the ending, you can keep going and do everything you missed... but only Shanalotte and Sweet Shalquoir seem to recognize that I'm the ruler after continuing, which is a bit strange. All that said, despite the ending, I loved the game overall. It had everything I loved about DS1 with some new twists, as well. I hear rumors about NG+ being something to check out as well, but I won't be with this character, as I will be switching to the PC version in a day or two~ Comments on my first DS2 build: Spoiler: show As I mentioned in the past, I decided to go pure sorcerer for my first run-through, as I am a huge magic enthusiast. For those interested, these are the stats I ran with (with occasional changes to armor/rings/spells to fit the situation): SL: 150 Starting Class: Sorcerer Starting Gift: HP Ring (I would recommend Petrified Something if I were to do it again) Weapons: Magic Uchigatana or Manslayer, Magic Staff of Wisdom Shield: Royal Kite Shield Armor: King's Crown, Black Witch Dress + Gloves, Black Leggings Rings: Ring of Knowledge, Clear Bluestone Ring, Ring of Restoration, Ring of Life Protection Spells Attuned: Soul Geyser, Soul Spear, Soul Greatsword, Great Heavy Soul Arrow Stats: VGR: 40 END: 12 VIT: 13 STR: 14 DEX: 18 ADP: 8 ATN: 40 INT: 50 (+8) FAI: 8 (+3) Comments: This build was intended for PvE, so I can't really comment on its PvP effectiveness that much. If you like helping people out, it's a GREAT build for doing heavy damage to bosses quickly, particularly with Soul Geyser/Soul Spear (the former of the two requiring Simpleton's Spice to use). Soul Greatsword has to be one of my favorite spells in DS2, though. It definitely has utility in PvP, as in the few matches I have actually had, my opponents generally did not expect it, it has decent range, and it hits hard with my build. I have been a katana fangirl since DS1, and I am still in love with them for DS2. The backstab for both Magic Uchi and Manslayer in particular are pretty great when considering the STR/DEX investment I made, which was fairly paltry. It may not be the best build, but it suited my playstyle and I made it through the game more or less fine. As for the armor... I wanted to be a pretty princess with a pretty wand. No judging. XP __________________ FB Member Post FB Memakyu FB Affinity Avenue Credit to Pengyzu for my user bar. Thank you!

04-25-2014, 11:26 AM	#29
Marion Ette Blades and Butterflies Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Spreading my Rot Posts: 2,772	Nice build, 'Cept! I was actually considering something similar for when I tried out the PC version, but ultimately decided to try a Curse-based build this time around. I still want to try a high STR/high VIT character at some point, though! Also, thinking back about my own build, 40 VGR, while padding for low VIT/END, did seem a bit excessive looking back. Seing your own build with 21 VGR makes me think that I may not want to go as heavy-handed next time. I'm starting the PC version as Deprived, and it's not quite as hard as I thought it would be, particularly given the fact that I got the game on pre-order. The strategy is simple: Spoiler: show Since I have the DLC weapons, I can still two-hand them despite not meeting requirements. They don't do the same amount of damage, but I can still fight my way to the dagger in the tutorial. While two-handing the dagger, I can backstab my way to 500 souls, up my STR to 7, and be able to equip the most minimal DLC shield. Equipping the minimal armor they give you (that you appear in during the opening cutscene) is a must, as well. Using this strategy, I'll at least have a dagger and shield, which is more than enough to navigate the first level or so. __________________ FB Member Post FB Memakyu FB Affinity Avenue Credit to Pengyzu for my user bar. Thank you!

04-27-2014, 10:22 PM	#31
big bad birtha Volcano Badge Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,878	Builds eh. I'm attempting to play a different game, so I'd rather not pop in Dark Souls II again just to be addicted to it again, so I'll think of my builds from memory. My hexer's stuff: Spoiler: show SL: Around 170 VGR: 30 END: 10 VIT: 10 ATN: 40 STR: 20 DEX: 18 ADP: 10 INT: 45 FAI: 45 Right Weapons: Witch's Staff, Moonlight Greatsword (magic infused), Uchiguchicoochiesmoochie (dark) Left Weapons: Royal Kite Shield, Pyromancy Flame, Binoculars Armor: Hexer's Hood with Llewellyn everything else Rings: Often switching, but Ring of Prayer/Knowledge, Ring of Life Protection, Southern Ritual Band +1, Silver Covetous Serpent Ring +1 (will change after I cap off at 200) Attuned spells: Always changing I put in enough str and dex to wield a decent sword/shield for when I want to conserve spells. My weapon sets are a bit of a mess, since I'm not completely sure on what I want to do with them. I'll probably constantly switch weapons though. While having the Witch's Staff, which can use any kind of spell, is nice, I would like to use spell tools that specialize in a specific area. The Moonlight Greatsword is a must. That freaking thing does more damage than my melee character's damn giant ass ultra greatswords. The Uchi just for speedier attacks, and because I like it. I have the binoculars in my off hand so I can aim lightning spears. I mostly dodge, but I have the kite shield there incase I need it. If I put any of my characters in NG+, it'll be this guy. I always liked mage'ing in RPGs, and he has such a wide variation of things he can do with his magic, that he's really fun to use. My attempted Dex/PvP character: Spoiler: show SL: Around 200 VGR: 30 END: 25 VIT: 25 ATN: 25 STR: 25 DEX: 40 ADP: 30 INT: 25 FAI: 25 Right Weapons: Espada Roperia, Santier's Spear (mundane), Avelyn Crossbow (mundane) Left Weapons: Blacksteel Katana, Caitha's Chime (dark), empty Armor: Mad Warrior Set Rings: Ring of Life Protection, Chloranthy Ring +1, Third Dragon Ring, Soldier's Ring +1 Attuned Spells: Resonant Weapon, Great Resonant Soul Those all-around stats are for mundane shit. Apparently if you enter the PvP scene, you need a few mundane stuff to counter other mundane cheapasses. I've encountered a few. After some practice, I just stopped giving a damn about a shield on this character. I could dodge most of what the game threw at me when I didn't make dumbass mistakes. The rapier/katana combo works well for me in pvp. The rapier gets in some quick hits in, while the katana is for the power stance combo attack. For the hexing stuff, I figured since I had the stats for mundane, I could attune a few spells while I was at it. The great resonant soul does like 1k damage a shot, and I'll be amassing souls since I'm capping at 200 anyway, so the soul cost doesn't mean much to me. This is a fun character to use as well, and I love that armor she has. I better love it, since I spent several hours farming for that shit! Also it's really discouraging how many times I lose in PvP matches. I'm good enough to dodge most of what the game throws at me in PvE, and I can take on most enemies pretty competently, so I would think my skill level is enough to score a fairly high amount of wins, but NOPE.

05-04-2014, 05:15 PM	#33
MarbleZone Soul Badge Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,025	Caved in and bought it, should arrive later this month. Might go with a caster this time, never tried it in the original. I'd like your opinion on something: are tank builds viable at all? I remember starting out as one in the first Dark Souls and regretting it immensely; dodging was 90% of the time objectively the best way to stay alive, so I ended up instantly disregarding heavy gear and storing it away forever. How do you guys go about playing heavy-armored characters? __________________ Wild Future Profile

05-18-2014, 05:44 PM	#36
Talon87 時の彼方へ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Lafayette, Indiana Posts: 20,578	Just saw this. Figured I'd share it. __________________ Japanese Discussion \| Mahoyo Discussion \| MyAnimeList

04-21-2014, 05:42 PM	#26
big bad birtha Volcano Badge Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,878	Decided to dive right back into the game and try the PvP scene. As much as I hate PvP and typically associate PvP with retard teenagers shouting "I R MASTUR GAMUR!!!1111!!!" and outright cheaters, I figured the ability to fight other players would be a valuable skill. It's discouraging how many fair fights I lose though. More often than not, I fuck up, or I can never get in a hit due to range issues. Now I kind of get what people mean by low weapon range being a bad thing. In PvE, it's no big deal, since you're always in the enemy's face anyway. I think I've won like 1/4 of my fair duels. Not a very good number. Though in all this suckage, I did finally manage to get my hands on the Mad Warrior set! That thing looks awesome, so that's a plus! I watched my friend play this a week ago, and while he was in the shaded woods, he noticed Manscorpion Tark. He started shooting at him because of how he looks, and instead of yelling or attacking back, Tark just tried to hide from his arrows. After it was over, we felt so bad about it. I wasn't sure what my experience was with him, so I walked up to him in one of my games later on, and realized he's the equivalent of Quelaan (without a covenant). Such regret!

05-05-2014, 03:21 AM	#35
big bad birtha Volcano Badge Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,878	The tank build is alot easier than the other builds. You don't have to bother learning to dodge patterns for each individual enemy, since you can just block everything. There aren't many enemies in the game that really require dodging if you have a good greatshield. Also the high hp and defense lets you make more mistakes before the game decides to fist you in the ass. My biggest issue with the build is just that blocking everything seemed a bit boring. It's certainly easier, but dodging everything feels like much more of an accomplishment.

06-29-2014, 11:10 AM	#37
MarbleZone Soul Badge Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,025	Having played this a fair amount by now (just entered Earthen Peak, still have to explore part of Huntsman's Copse and most of the Doors of Pharros), here are my opinions on the game so far: Pros: - It's been a while since I played the original Dark Souls, but this one feels a lot less linear. I'm sure at some point I'll be forced to get something from path A in order to keep exploring path B, but right now I have 3 different routes I can choose to explore first with seemingly no consequence on the overarching plot, and that's what I like about this kind of games. - The increase in weight percentage before fat roll lets me try out more gear than I could have in the first game; I find myself wearing heavy armor and shields I never tried in DS1 which makes for a more varied gameplay. - I didn't try sorcery in DS1 but I feel there are a ton more spells to use in DS2. I didn't actively look for them in the first game so I may have just missed them, but I love all the casting options this game (which will always be primarily melee-oriented) provides, between spells, pyromancies and miracles. - Soul Vessels. Yes, so much yes. Haven't used them yet, but the simple fact that this option exists makes me feel much more relaxed about my level-up choices. - Dual-wielding would probably be a plus if I knew how to do it. I'm a shield-wearing coward at all times. :P - Bonfire travel is a godsend in this game. The inclusion of respawn cancelling after X runs and the Ascetics are also really nice touches that go together really well. - Something I frowned at in the beginning was the curse-like penalty for dying while Hollow. I suck at Dark Souls, so when I learned that you could go to half HP if you died often enough, I had serious doubts about the game's longevity in my unskilled hands. Turns out Effigies are common enough that even if you're terrible like me, you can lift the "curse" easily enough until you're good enough in a certain area to stop dying. All in all it's not nearly as catastrophic of a mechanic as I thought it would've been, it's actually kinda fun and pushes you to change things up rather than repeat the same tactics over and over until they work. Cons: - "Bearer of the curse... seek souls..." Jesus Christ will you shut up. - Why is everyone in Majula so... content? The central hub in DS1 was filled with characters doomed to a tragic ending if you talked to them often enough. Almost everyone had a subplot that rarely ended well, so that even in Firelink Shrine - the supposed safehouse - you were constantly enveloped in a dark, foreboding feeling that nobody was truly safe. In Majula... it's like a big, bright and cheery convenience store. At least up until this point. It's a nice break from all the death and darkness in Drangleic sure, but that sort of tranquility isn't meant for a Dark Souls game. - I miss feeling overwhelmed by creatures so huge and ominous that they encourage me to go out of my way to avoid them. Hydras, the bridge dragon and even Havel and the Black Knights in DS1 appeared like regular enemies, and they were so far out of my league in the beginning that I even wondered if they were actual foes or "environmental hazards" that you weren't supposed to fight. I've met none of those in DS2, and I kinda miss them. Heide Knights just aren't the same thing, and I'm yet to feel properly "overwhelmed" by a really fierce-looking enemy that makes me want to run to safety rather than fight. - Invasions - are they much less frequent in DS2? Even in the supposed hotspots for invasions, like Belfry Luna, I'm yet to be invaded once by actual players when human. Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe not enough people are playing this game anymore. I'm having a blast so far; even if the plot isn't half as compelling, the gameplay more than makes up for it. All in all, I'm having more fun playing Dark Souls 2 then I did playing the previous game, though I do wish the characters were darker. __________________ Wild Future Profile

11-04-2014, 11:22 PM	#39
big bad birtha Volcano Badge Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,878	Decided to pick things up and hopefully start on the DLC after a few months without playing. I decided to pick back up with my hexer and they really fucked him in the latest patch. Lightning spears hardly do any damage anymore, and they don't even have many casts. I bet anyone who tries to main in miracles won't be able to do shit offensively. Soul spears on a fully upgraded magic staff of wisdom do like 400 damage. Resonant soul spells do about as much damage as dark orbs. Pyromancies don't even do that much. Like...why? I get that spells were devastating, but that's because of the limited uses and the fact that you had to pump in points into magic stats to use them, making yourself physically weak. My Hexer's melee attacks do more damage than his strongest freaking spells. Actually I'd probably be better off just leaving him with like 16 attunement, kill his spells, and just pump everything into melee stats while enchanting his weapon. I did complete one of the DLCs with him. It was still fun, but I'm probably going to do these with a melee character. I get that some spells needed a power downgrade, like pyromancies (chaos storm oneshotted most bosses), but they made them so weak that the super long cast time isn't even worth it. EDIT: I do like how they improved the Chloranthy ring though. It's actually useful now! Last edited by big bad birtha; 11-04-2014 at 11:36 PM.

04-23-2016, 11:58 AM	#41
big bad birtha Volcano Badge Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2,878	Reviving a dead thread because I don't want to make a new one. Got my hands on Dark Souls III. Like most souls games, I made a dex character as my first one. I want to try the magic system, but that will come at a later date. I like the hell out of this character. Everyone who summons me can see the fabulousness. For thoughts, I enjoy it of course. It doesn't feel like a game that newcomers can just jump into, since they shout-out to the previous games alot. Also the beginning of the game is much more difficult than the others. The game throws so many Dark Knight level enemies at you. The first bosses feel like a cakewalk compared to the grunts. It balances out later on where you want to destroy your console at the bosses. I have gotten into the habit of defeating a boss by myself, then right after, making a summon sign and helping other players for souls and extra practice. It's astounding how quickly you get summoned. I see players desperately searching the boss area for summon signs. Hell, more often than not, I get summed immediately after putting down my sign. I have also seen the same player summon me on different boss fights. I thought more players would try to do it themselves. For weapons and whatnot: (weapons spoilers) Spoiler: show In the beginning of the game, you can get your hands on the Uchiguchicoochiesmoochie from a badass with it. I used that until I got my hands on a great scythe. I never used a scythe in a souls game (I used the bural blade in Bloodborne, but that's Bloodborne), so I wanted to learn to use it. It's pretty cool when you get used to the range. It's a great pvp and pve weapon. The range and speed are both great. The skill for it isn't so useful. Later on in the game, I switched to a Pontiff scythe. Same moveset as the great scythe, but much higher dex scaling, and a skill that's sometimes useful as opposed to completely useless. It also looks like Priscilla's lifehunt scythe. Also use a pharis bow. There's so many situations where I can't imagine not having a bow. Bows also do decent damage this game. The ar for my bow is actually kind of close to my scythe.

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